Buffalo City Hall Tour

Buffalo City Hall

Visitors were shown the artwork and architecture of Buffalo City Hall during a free guided walking tour on Monday.

After gathering everyone waiting in the main lobby, David Rock, the tour guide, brought everyone outside to speak about the main face of the building. After returning inside, Rock pointed out a few of the murals on the first floor of City Hall.

One of the murals pointed out was called, “Frontiers Unfettered by Any Frowning Fortress.” 

It showed a woman standing as a central figure between Canada and the United States.

After learning about some of the murals, the tour was then taken to the second floor where the mayor’s office resides. The front of the room was gated off from the back part, and there were portraits hung all around the office of past mayors.

Sunburst Ceiling in the Common Council Chamber

The next area the visitors were brought to was the Common Council Chamber. The front doors were locked, so the tour guide brought everyone in through an alternative route. 

Rock said the chamber was modeled under a Roman Senate style including how the stands looked and the columns that could be seen underneath the sunburst glass ceiling.

The last place the visitors experienced was the Observation deck located on the 28^th floor. 

The elevator stopped at the 25^th floor, so everyone had to walk up the remaining three flights of stairs. After entering the observation deck, people were able to choose to walk around in a complete circle either inside or outside. Inside, there were windows overlooking different parts of the city. Outside, there was a glass case surrounding the view of the city. 

This allowed people to see many views of Buffalo from 28 floors up in the air.

“We have these public treasures here in Buffalo that people don’t know much about and we have a rich architectural and historical legacy here that’s leftover from a much more prosperous time,” said Rock. “You come on the tour to learn about the history of the city, to hopefully learn a little about architecture, and to enjoy the grandeur of the place.”

Rock said that the main architectural style throughout the building was Art Deco. There were also many different influences throughout the building including Egyptian, and Roman.

View of Buffalo from the Observation Deck

“There isn’t many other places people can get such a view of the city,” said Nathan Wang, a visitor from China. “The building is so old and historical.”

Wang said that from being so high up in the building, he’s able to see the skyline of Buffalo.

“The first floor is really popular,” said Derek Koonce, a maintenance worker for City Hall. “People come in and go crazy from seeing the artwork and architecture. They don’t expect it.”

Buffalo City Hall Tours last about an hour every weekday city hall is open. The tour is from noon until 1 p.m. The walking tour includes walking up and down stairs at various times. City Hall is located in downtown Buffalo, in Niagara Square. 

The Trek Tifft at Tifft Nature Preserve

Tifft Nature Preserve

Visitors experienced a guided walking tour of the Tifft Nature preserve’s field, forest, and wetland habitats on Sunday, during the The Trek Tifft.

The volunteer tour guide assigned to give the Trek Tifft, gathered everyone waiting for the tour in the main lodge and set off outside. Along the walk, the tour guide pointed out different plants and trees such as corkscrew willow trees, phragmites, evergreen trees, cattails, wild iris, and more.

During the Trek Tifft, interaction with animals in wildlife was often common. Many deer were seen roaming around the park usually alone, or in groups of three or more. The volunteer guide handed out birdseed to visitors and allowed them to try to feed the birds flying around.

Feeding the Birds

The tour also took visitors on the boardwalks of the marshes and lakes. Various plants were able to be seen over the railing of the boardwalks as well as ducks swimming around and tadpoles popping up to the surface in random intervals.

“My favorite part of the preserve is the wetland habitat because I like walking next to the water,” said Khrystal Barry, a visiting college student from Stony Brook University. “It’s very peaceful.”

Barry said that following the tour guide was very helpful. It was nice to listen to someone who was informative and personable.

“The tour guide was really great at getting people involved and asking questions,” said Barry. “She really kept my attention about finding out what we were looking at.”

“Actually being able to see nature benefits many of our Trek Tifft visitors,” said Carol Mathner, a volunteer tour guide. “These days people are so involved with what’s on television. It’s nice to have them come to the preserve and experience a whole new world, especially for children.”

The Trek Tifft lasted about an hour and a half. It allowed visitors to experience each different aspect of the preserve. The tour guide lead the group through the woodland areas, over the bridge of the connecting lakes, and onto the boardwalk of the cattail marshes.

“There’s always something new to see each season,” said Mathner. “In the spring people can start to see all the birds returning while in the winter, people can begin to see and follow animal tracks.”

Beaver Dam in the Tifft Nature Preserve

“I would definitely come back again to go for a walk and take pictures,” said Robert Henning, a resident of Batavia, NY. “It would be nice to slow down life for a little and enjoy the nature of the preserve.”

The Tifft Nature Preserve is made up of 264 acres of land including marshes, lakes, ponds, and forests. People visiting the Tifft Nature Preserve for the Trek Tifft are taken on a tour of the grounds.

The Tifft Nature Preserve is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. There is no fee to gain admission to the preserve, but donations are helpful.

The Trek Tifft takes place every Sunday from 2 to 3:00 p.m. except for every third Sunday of the month. It is a free program, open to all ages. The program will not be running from Dec. until March.

Burchfield Penney Art Center

Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo NY

Exhibit openings, concerts, and workshops are some of the special events of the M&T Second Fridays held at the Burchfield Penney Art Center.

“We have events going on every second Friday of the month,” said Sandra Perrin, a Visitor Services Associate at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. “A lot of people come to see live entertainment such as musicians, and the openings of new exhibits.”

Perrin said that the museum gets really busy when events are held. There have been concerts, as well as weddings held at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. Classes, workshops, lectures, and performances are also held at the museum during Second Fridays for those who enjoy learning new things.

A few past performances during M&T Second Fridays at Burchfield have been by The Equinox Jazz Band, Genkin Philharmonic, Lisa Forrest, and Doug Lambert. Some of the past workshops include 'Message in a Bottle,' 'Artists Among Us II,' and 'Personal Doodles.'

"The Second Fridays at Burchfield are more crowded, but the atmosphere is nice," said Maxwell Pope, a student at RIT majoring in communications. "Everyone is enjoying themselves and having a good time. Especially when there is live music playing."

Pope said that although the museum isn’t as big as ones he has previously been to, it definitely has an appeal to make visitors want to look around and come back for new exhibits and performances.

“The Second Fridays are really popular,” said Laura Donnelly, a teacher and Buffalo State Alumnus. "There’s always something engaging for people to check out.”

Checking out an exhibit in the main hall at Burchfield

During M&T Second Fridays, the Burchfield Penney Art Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Second Fridays event is held on every second Friday of the month. Admission on these days is free between the hours of 4 and 8 p.m. Additional fees may apply for special programs being held.